The Ending
by C. F Hamilton
Summary: After a year of relative safety, Chloe was captured by the Edison Group. Now, two years later, she escapes and makes her way back home. But will she be safe there? Or will the Edison Group be hunting her down with a new mission in mind, a mission to terminate Chloe on sight. Derek will do anything to keep Chloe safe now that she's back, even if that means taking Edison head on.
1. Chapter 1

I can feel the eyes of the Edison scientists looking at me through the two way mirror. They think because I can't see them that I don't know if they're there or not, but I can still feel them. Feel their souls. I wonder if they'll draw any more of my blood today, or maybe have me go through another MRI to study my brain, or put me in a room full of dead bodies for me to reanimate. Maybe today they'll leave me alone and just watch. They do that a lot. Watch me. Observe me. I think they're waiting for me to break. For my sanity to reach its limit and snap. Closing my eyes, I push those thoughts away. I can't think that way. I won't. My sanity will remain and I'll get out of her and find my way back to Derek.

Derek.

I miss him.

My heart aches whenever I think of him, but a day hasn't gone by where he hasn't crossed my mind. I am grateful for that, because even though it hurts to think of him, it gives me hope and keeps me sane. I made a promise to myself when I was captured that I'd do anything to escape and return to him. That was almost two years ago, but I haven't given up. I won't give up. I'm biding my time until I can escape. Every time they've taken me out of my cell, I've asked what the date was. I've been keeping track of time that way. I have no other way to tell when one day ends and when another begins. My cell has no windows; neither do the rooms where they examine me. They could be lying when I ask the date, but it's all I have to go on. Once I saw the date printed on a file one of the scientists had and it was the same as what they told me. Hopefully it was correct and I haven't been in here for more than two years.

We were in Iowa when I was taken. A small town called Collins, so small it didn't even have its own gas station. I had just turned seventeen and Aunt Lauren wanted to spend the day with me. We had been living in Collins for a couple months and everything had been peaceful, quiet. We were happy there. I guess that's why Kit let the two of us go off alone. We were just supposed to go to Ames, gather supplies at Hy-Vee, a grocery store, and come back. Aunt Lauren thought it'd be fun for just the two of us to spend some time together. Everything had gone smoothly until we were on our way back to the safe house.

Then everything went wrong.

A car crashed into Aunt Lauren's side while we were on Route 30. The car skidded to a halt in the middle of the road after fish-tailing. I was dizzy and didn't know what was happening. When I glanced over to the driver's seat, I wished that I hadn't. The entire side of the car was pushed in, crushing her legs. Aunt Lauren's arm was bent at an awkward angle, her head was bleeding profusely and her mouth was hanging open, letting out moans of agony. I didn't even have time to unclasp my seat belt before Edison was on us.

They went for Aunt Lauren first.

A man took her head in his hands and bashed her skull against the steering wheel. Her moans stopped. She was dead. I screamed and tried to escape, but two men were on me before I could get both feet out of the car. They dragged me into the back of a black van and brought me here.

I've been in this room ever since.

Today would be different though. Today I was getting out. A month or so ago, when I knew no one was watching, I summoned all the ghosts in the area to my cell. There were a lot. Before I was taken I maybe could have summoned two or three from ten feet away. Now, thanks to all the tests Edison has done on me, I can summon as many ghosts as there are bodies in a thirty foot radius. Of course, I still draw in the random ghost every now and again. Those are the worst, the ghosts that pop in without me summoning them. Rarely are they nice and they always torment me. It usually happens when I sleep. I have less control over my powers when I'm unconscious.

So I've tried to stop sleeping.

I can make it three or four days before I pass out. I'm never out for very long though. Something always wakes me up, nine times out of ten it's a ghost or a corpse scratching at the door. Those still make me cringe.

I was lucky, though, when I summoned so many ghosts. They didn't try to overpower me, consume or possess me; most didn't even try to get me to do something for them. I was extremely lucky to have summoned a poltergeist that the Edison Group recently put down. Her name's Chelsea and she agreed to help me get out of the building, for a price. After that I was on my own. The price wasn't too steep. When I was free, she wanted me to get a letter to her mother. I didn't even have to hand it to her mother, for which I was thankful. I just had to make sure she got it.

The scientists in the other room were finally gone. I let out a deep breath and opened my eyes. Seeing another pair looking right back at me, my heart started and I jumped back, banging my head against the wall. "Sorry," Chelsea laughed, obviously not sorry.

"I-Is it c-c-clear?" I asked, blushing over my stutter. It had practically disappeared in Iowa, but after being locked up with no one to talk to for almost two years it was back with a vengeance whenever I did try to speak. My tongue was just out of practice, I guess.

"Yes, all the doors are unlocked. I pulled out the wires connecting the cameras to the monitors and no one is hanging around here. You're good to go."

I nodded and headed for the door to my cell. "One more thing," she began, "don't forget about our deal, okay? Or else I'll haunt you to your death." She handed me the letter I was supposed to deliver. I folded it up and stuffed it into my sports bra. Standing in front of the door, I took a deep breath and rub my fingers over the amulet hanging around my neck before tucking it into my shirt.

Then I'm gone.

**A/N: This is my first Darkest Powers fanfic and I'm really excited about it! I liked the series, but I thought there was a lot left to be desired by the author so I figured I'd give it a go at tying up those loose ends. I also think there needs to be more stories for this series! It's ridiculous. But I digress…let me know what you think and if there's anything you want me to cover specifically let me know and I'll consider putting it in. **

**Pastry~**


	2. Chapter 2

My breaths were shallow and labored, but I couldn't stop running. If I stopped running it would make it that much easier for the Edison Group to recapture me. The forest surrounding the building that held me was thick. I knew at the edge was a town where I could hide. If only I could get there before they reached me. Just a bit farther. I could make it.

I would make it.

I could hardly see my own hand in front of my face it was so dark out. With only the moon to guide me, which, honestly, didn't help at all, I felt sure that I'd be safe from Edison for at least a while longer. Morning was on its way though, and I needed to find shelter before it arrived. I don't know how long I've been running, or how much father the town is. All I know is my feet are full of splinters and probably some glass, my face and arms have been scratched at by tree limbs and thorns from bushes, and my lungs feel as if they are on fire.

It's getting lighter out here, which is good and bad. Good because now that I can see I can avoid low tree limbs and other debris; bad because I'll be easier to be spotted Edison. I almost cry out in happiness when I see the trees are starting to thin out and I can see the edge of the forest approaching. I run out into someone's backyard and look around.

I need to find shelter fast.

My body tingles with a familiar sensation. A dead body is near, and it's fresh. I follow the feeling towards one of the smaller houses in the neighborhood. The back door is locked, but thankfully a window on the side of the house is unlocked and I sneak in through it. Treading carefully through the owner's kitchen, I don't hear anyone moving in the house, nor do I feel any souls. It doesn't take me very long to find the body I had sensed earlier. She's alone in her bed. It almost looks like she's sleeping.

But she'll never wake up.

I wait a couple more hours in the house. Waiting until other people make their way out of their homes to collect the morning's paper, or for Edison to pass through. I take the time to figure out where I am. From what I can tell I'm somewhere in Wyoming. When it finally seems to be an appropriate hour, I reanimate the old woman's body. It takes very little effort now for me to reanimate a corpse; the problem now is making sure I don't also reanimate every dead body in the area. After waiting a few moments, checking out the window to make sure I didn't summon anything unpleasant, I return to the woman and address her.

"G-g-get d-dressed," I paused, clearing my throat and trying to relax my tongue before I continued. "G-go to t-t-the near-r-rest Walm-mart and b-b-buy f-f-f-five sm-small t-sh-shirts and two j-j-j-jeans. A-a-and a b-belt," I added, just to be safe in case the jeans don't fit. "O-oh, and a hair d-d-dye, a-and," I stopped myself, frustrated. This was taking too long!

I walked into the kitched, found a scrap piece of paper and pen and wrote down every item I had already told her along with two bras in my size, a pack of small sized underwear, a box of hair dye—specifically writing down a light brown color—I was not going back to black, but I couldn't stay a blonde. I was too noticeable this way. After adding down a couple more toiletries, I faced the woman again and handed her the piece of paper. "Do y-y-you underst-st-stand this?" I ask.

She nods.

"C-can you g-g-et it f-f-f-or m-me?"

She nods again.

Hopefully no one tries to speak with her. I send her on her way, impressed that she can still drive in her post-mortem state. I stand in the kitchen for half a second before heading to the bathroom. The medicine cabinet is fully stocked, thankfully, so I decide to tend to my scratches and cuts from the forest. My feet burn with the splinters so I turn the tub water on and fill it just high enough with warm water so I can soak my feet. Hopefully all the little pieces of wood will ease out without me having to use tweezers.

After ten minutes, I pull my feet out and look them over. They're not pretty, but they look better than they did before I soaked them. Pulling out the disinfectant from the cabinet and dab it on the open wounds. I don't see any splinters, so hopefully they're all gone. I place some Band-Aids on the larger cuts and then do the same for the cuts on my arms and face.

Once I'm finished, I can hear the old woman making her way into the house. I meet her at the door, careful not to step outside in case anyone sees me and somehow recognize me. I take the toiletries and clothes back into the bathroom and shower all the dirt and gunk off my body and out of my hair. I even take extra time to shave my legs and arm pits, which have grown wildly out of hand since Edison wouldn't give me a razor. Now that I feel clean again—the first time in two years—I step out of the shower and dry off with a nice fluffy towel.

The steam on the mirror evaporates and I stop to stare at myself. Sure, there was the two-way mirror in my cell, but I never liked looking at it because I could feel them watching me. With this mirror I take my time to look over my body. I was always skinny but now I look starved. All my ribs are showing and I could rest items in the dips of my collarbone. My face doesn't look too different than what I remember. Yes, it's skinnier, but thankfully not too gaunt. The only real difference is my eyes. The circles showing my insomnia make me feel like a raccoon, and I know that even if my body returns to normal, I doubt those circles will ever leave.

I brush out my hair before grabbing the box of hair dye. On the model the color looks wonderful. Caramel brown, it says. I know it won't look the same on me, what with my pale skin, but it will do the job without making me look like some goth girl again. The timer goes off after twenty minutes and I wash out my hair again, and then dry it with the towel. I look at the mirror again and am pleased with what I see. I quickly get dressed—surprisingly the jeans fit without the need of belt—and pull the zip up hoodie on. A small smile pulls at my lips. Even though a reanimated corpse picked out these clothes, they look very nice. Especially the coral colored hoodie. The color itself just makes my smile a little bit bigger.

The woman is still waiting for me in the kitchen, and after eating a scrambled egg and some toast very quickly, we head out the door. "Dr-dr-drive to the near-rest Gr-great C-c-clips," I order, feeling a bit more confidant in my speaking abilities. The stutter was much better that time. The car ride was silent, not only because the woman couldn't speak, but also because the car didn't have a radio. The salon was practically empty, so I didn't have to wait to have my hair cut. Just like I wasn't given a razor, I wasn't given any haircuts in my two years at Edison. My hair had grown down to my waist and I hated it.

"What can I do for you?" The stylist asked.

"I'd l-like it j-j-just bel-low m-my sh-sh-shoulders, and s-some s-s-side bangs pl-please."

The stylist gave me a sympathetic look which I ignored. My stutter was getting better, so I didn't care if she thought I was pathetic or sad. I just wanted her to cut my hair. I thought the length would be good since they were still looking for a long hair blonde girl, not a short haired brunette with bangs. I hoped the bangs gave me some extra cover from vigilant Edison eyes.

When she was finished I looked much better. My eyes were still shadowed, of course, and I was still too thin, but thanks to the food I had eaten, the good shower, and now this haircut I was looking back to normal.

Back to whom I used to be.

That thought warmed my chest and a small smile graced my lips for the second time that morning. After the old woman paid we headed back to the car. "Dr-drive west," I told her. I had a plan to get back to Derek and the others and I hope it worked. First I needed to leave a false trail. Hopefully Edison hadn't realized what I had done yet and weren't following us this instant. If they did figure out that I hijacked this woman's body—which I really don't know how they would, but, hey, it's Edison—I needed to lead them on the wrong trail.

Hours went by and the only stops we made were two gas stations and several a. to withdraw money for me to take on my trip. I'm hoping Edison will see the use of the woman's credit card and that we're moving west. Well, that's my second hope. My first hope is that Edison never realizes where I went or who I'm with.

But I'm trying to be realistic.

It's around five o'clock by the time we pull up to an Amtrak train station. I tell the woman to stay in the car and run into the station. I buy one ticket heading to California with the credit card and another ticket heading to Iowa in cash. The train leaves in a little less than half an hour, so I quickly buy a sandwich, chips and a water bottle from a quick mart in the station and run back to the car where the woman sits staring out into space. I grab my bag of clothes from the back seat that I packed before we left and turn towards the woman. I bite my lip before saying, "Th-anks for a-all your h-h-help."

I know she doesn't really understand me. At least, I don't think she does since she doesn't respond, but I have doubts since she bought all the clothes so…fashionably, I guess. I shake my head, take her wallet and placing the credit card back inside, then I release her. Her mouth falls slack and her eyes are still open. I close them and close the door of her car. I'm hoping someone finds her soon and assumes she died naturally in the car, like if she had been in her bed.

I don't stick around. Heading back into the station I find my train and then my seat. My body is so tired, but I can't fall asleep, not yet. When the train starts gaining speed I can, but not yet. If I do now I'll summon something. Maybe the old woman and I can't deal with that right now. Rubbing my amulet between my fingers, I try to calm myself as they start to close the doors. I look around frantically for a moment, but then look more calmly. No one is looking at me; in fact most people are starting to fall asleep. My heart slows down and I look out the window. When I feel we're going fast enough so that I won't be able to summon anything to me, I let my eyes drift close and fall into the first peaceful slumber I've had for a long time.

When I wake up, I feel relieved. I slept the whole night without any interruptions and I feel great. A little dirty again but great nevertheless. I ask a conductor how far from Iowa City we are and he tells me only fifteen minutes. I wait anxiously, hoping this next part of my plan works. If it doesn't, then I have nothing. No way to find the others.

No way of getting back to Derek.

The train stops and I get off quickly, making my way to the nearest pay phone. I use some change from the dinner I bought yesterday and dial the number that I've burned into my memory. It was Kit's number back in Iowa and when we were stuck in Andrew's safe house. If he changed his number then I'm screwed. It rings four times before I hear a hesitant "Hello?"

My breath catches. Kit. It was Kit. I thanked whatever higher power there was before responding. "Kit?" I choke on a sob, warm tears pouring down my face. I'm sure I looked awful, red, puffy eyes, snot probably hanging from my nose, but I didn't care. All my pent up emotions, my fear, anger, frustrations and so on, were pouring out of me. "Chloe?" I hear Kit ask, "Chloe is that you?" I calm my sobs long enough to reply,

"Can I c-come home?"

**A/N: Chapter Number Two! WOOOO. Thanks for all the reviews, follow, alerts, EVERYTHING! You guys are great. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and tell me what you think or if you have questions. I do have to say that I know there are no commercial trains in Iowa, but for the sake of the story I needed a train to go to Iowa. I think that's it!**

**Pastry~**


	3. Chapter 3

Kit didn't tell me where he was coming from, but he did say that it would take about a day to reach me. I had to rent a room at the local Holiday Inn. Kit said he'd meet me in the morning around daybreak. I wasn't exactly sure what time that would be here, but it didn't matter anyway since I wasn't going to sleep. As soon as I checked into my room—thankfully I had enough cash left over from the old woman to pay for one night—I took a shower and dressed in clean clothes. I didn't ask the old woman to buy any sort of pajamas, so it was a little uncomfortable, but it would just make it easier for me to be ready for Kit when he arrived.

My room overlooked the front entrance parking lot. I didn't know what type of car—or even the color—Kit was driving. It didn't matter to me, though. So long as he was coming. The entire night I looked out the window, waiting for the sky to lighten and for a car to drive up to take me away. When the sun began to crest over the horizon, I made my way with my bag down to the lobby to check out and wait on the curb outside the hotel. My legs bounced on the balls of my feet. I was so nervous.

What if he didn't come?

No. Kit would come. He said he would. He was almost here. I tried to swallow my anxiety and fear. I was so close to being reunited with my loved ones that I almost dry heaved at the thought of coming so far only to never see them again. I had to bite down on my knuckles to stop myself from hyperventilating.

The sound of a car pulling up brought me out of my thoughts. It was a small red car. I couldn't see the driver yet, but stood up anyway. The car pulled up to the entrance and stopped. The door opened and Kit stepped out of the car. I choked on my breath and ran towards him. He pulled me onto a tight hug. Tears fell from my eyes again, making his image blurry. I held on tighter, afraid he would disappear. He looked around for a few seconds before pulling back slightly to smile down at me. "Come on, Chloe," he said, "let's go home."

I sobbed and nodded frantically. He took my bag and threw it into the backseat while I walked around to sit in the passenger seat. I rubbed the tears from my eyes and Kit handed me some tissue from his pocket before turning the car on and driving away from the hotel. "Are you hungry?" He asked, reaching behind him for a bag of fresh donuts. I took the bag, confused. Then I saw that he had a Styrofoam cup of coffee in the cup holder.

"K-Kit?" I started hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"W-w-when did you g-get th-this st-st-stuff?"

Kit looked at me out of the corner of his eye. He sighed before answering, "This morning, before I picked you up." I stared at him, my brow furrowed. Why didn't he come to pick me up first? Kit saw me staring and sighed again, "Chloe, I—" he hesitated before continuing, "I got into town around midnight last night and stayed at a different hotel before coming to pick you up."

"W-why?"

"I'm sorry I made you wait, but I didn't know…I didn't know if it was a trap set up by Edison to capture me and the others. I had to be careful with how I went about this. If it was a trap, I needed time to scout of the area and make sure it was safe. When I deemed it secure, I came for you."

I stared at the bag of donuts in my hands for a long moment. What he said made sense. If Edison had broken me enough to use me as a pawn, then I could have been used to lure Kit or any of them into a trap. Although I knew it was practical and logical, it didn't lesson the blow of knowing we could have been seven hours closer to home.

Wherever that was.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Kit. "Wh-where a-a-are we g-going?"

"Abbott, Texas." He replied, giving me a small smile. "It's about fourteen hours from here." I nodded; half wishing I could sleep those fourteen hours away. Soon we would be driving fast enough so that I could sleep, but right now we were only going about thirty miles per hour. I didn't mind much. I wanted to use this time to ask Kit some questions. I took a deep breath before starting, "H-how is ever-ryone?"

"They've—they've been good. When you were taken it was hard on all of us. Some more than others," he drifted off. I knew he meant Derek, but didn't comment. "We were afraid that they killed you, too, but Tori pointed out that if they had wanted to kill you then they would've killed you along with Lauren." He drifts off again and we sit in silence for almost three hours. He seemed like he didn't want to speak about the aftermath of my kidnapping all too much, and I was nervous, too. Did I want to know how Derek and the rest had suffered? No. I didn't, but I did want to know that they were okay. No matter, how often I tried to open my mouth though, my tongue stayed glued to the bottom of my mouth.

Kit cleared his throat and looked at me quickly. "Simon's been doing well. I can tell he's sad a lot of the time. He misses you, but he tries to keep our spirits high, especially Derek's. Derek…Derek was a mess when we found out about the accident. At first, when we thought it was just an accident, he was upset and worried, but when we discovered Edison took you, it was awful. We had to sedate him for a while. He was too wild. Then, when we left Iowa, and he came to…it—it wasn't pretty, Chloe."

I had to remember to breath. They sedated him? It was that bad? I mean, I knew it'd be awful, but I never thought Derek would become violent enough for Kit to feel the need to knock him out. I snapped my eyes back to Kit when he continued. "He's not so bad now; mostly he just keeps to himself. He rarely talks. We had to convince him to eat in the beginning, but now he's—he's doing better." I could see the sadness emanating from Kit. It must be horrible to have to watch his son go through so much heartbreak and pain. "I'm s-so sor-rry," I whispered. Kit sighed, "There's nothing for you to apologize for. It wasn't you fault. It's Edison's."

There was another bout of silence before he continued. "Tori's been keeping all of us on our toes," he stated with an affectionate smile. "She was the one who convinced Derek to start eating again. She's kept morale high all these years, but I can tell she's missed you. I mean, we all have. It'll do wonders when they see you again." He looked me over, "If not for a little worse for wear."

I blushed in embarrassment thinking about how thin I've become. Then a thought hit me, "You s-s-said you th-thought i-it might be a tr-tr-trap." Kit took a second before nodding. "So, do th-the others know that I've e-e-escaped?" Kit sighed once more and shook his head. "If it was a trap I didn't want to get their hopes up, and if Derek knew you called, trap or not, he would've gone with or without me. I wasn't going to risk him falling into Edison's hands." I nodded. It made sense.

I guess it would be a surprise then.

We made mindless chatter for a few more minutes. He didn't ask me about my captivity and I didn't offer anything. I asked him to wake me up before we got off any busy streets that went below fifty miles per hour. He looked confused, but said he would. I sighed back into the seat and fell asleep within minutes.

As promised, Kit woke me up when we got off the highway. We were close apparently, only a half hour away from where they've been staying. Kit told me they had been staying on a ranch for about seven months now.

That was a pretty long time.

It was around nine at night when Kit drove down a long, dirt drive way leading to a one floor ranch house. It wasn't tall, but I could tell it wasn't small, either. Before Kit could even turn the car off the front door to the house burst open. I let out a sound of surprise.

It was Derek.

His hair was messy, sticking up at odd angles, and he was taller than when I last saw him. Or maybe that was just my imagination. I didn't care though, because next thing I knew I was out of the car running for him. His eyes were large with awe and disbelief. He didn't stare for long. In three long strides he was in front of me pulling me into his large, warm arms. We're both trembling and I'm close to sobbing again, but I try to hold off the hysterics long enough to enjoy the feeling of embracing him, being embraced by him. He feels right. He feels safe. He feels like home.

He nuzzles his nose into my hair, his chest giving off a rumbling sound. He takes a long, calming breath before whispering into my ear, "I've missed you." I let out a choked laugh and hold him tighter.

I made it home.

**A/N: Yayayaya! Hope you enjoy. And I hope my writing was all in one tense this time! Sorry about that before, sometimes I get lazy. Oops. Thanks again for all the reviews and please keep them coming! I wasn't able to proof read this; I'll get to that sometime this week along with the other chapters and their tenses. But I hope you all enjoyed!**

**Pastry~**


	4. Chapter 4

After spending close to an hour in Derek's arms in the driveway, Kit ushered us into the house. Derek kept his arm around my waist as we entered. I took a deep breath. It smelled like food and something sweet, but also kind of woodsy. I'm guessing the woodsy smell came from Derek.

Kit walked around the kitchen, turning the lights on. He then pulled two water bottles out of the fridge and handed me one. "Th-thanks," I said. I leaned back into Derek's warm chest and took in what I could see. The kitchen itself wasn't too big. It was very open with an island in the middle. I could also see the living room. It was pretty big and furnished with plenty of seating surrounding a large T.V. I wondered where Tori and Simon were. The house didn't make any noises, leading me to believe we were the only ones home. "W-w-where is evr-ryo-one?"

Derek's arms tightened around me before he answered, "They went out to get ice cream. There's left over pizza in the fridge, by the way." Kit nodded and grabbed the pizza from the fridge, "Want some Chloe?" My stomach grumbled and my face turned bright red, "Y-yes, please." He placed several pieces in the microwave. Derek and I moved over to the island and sat down. Although he removed his arm from my waist, Derek didn't stop touching me. Instead he linked our hands together, intertwining our fingers. I smiled to him, glad that he felt the same way as I did. I didn't want to let go of him, either. If I let go then he might disappear, and I couldn't bear the thought.

It was easier on both of us if we kept touching.

The microwave dinged and Kit placed a plate full of pizza in front of me along with a cold can of Sprite. I smiled gratefully to him and began to eat. I almost moaned when I tasted the pizza. It'd been so long since I've had such luxury. I had the same reaction with Kit when we stopped at a McDonald's for lunch, but this was so much better. I ate all the pieces on my plate and then two more before I had my fill for a total of seven pieces. I'm sure if Tori were here she would be grossed out by how much food I just devoured, but I could care less right now.

After Kit and I finished, the three of us move into the living room and turn the T.V on while we wait for Simon and Tori to return. Derek has stretched out on the couch and I'm nestled into his side while Kit settled into a chair next to us. I felt my eye lids flutter and pinched myself to stay awake. Derek gave me a strange look, but didn't ask.

I sighed out in relief.

The door banged open and I could hear voices arguing from the kitchen. I stood up and slowly walked toward Simon and Tori. Derek stayed close behind. His hand securely anchored to the small of my back. I saw them before they saw me. Tori's hair was longer but it was the same black color it had always been, and Simon looked exactly how I remembered him, if not a little taller. Tori lightly pushed Simon back and turned her attention to the fridge, but froze when she locked eyes with me. Her mouth dropped open and Simon looked over his shoulder to see what she was staring at.

I gave a small smile and stepped closer to them. Simon unfroze first, screaming at the top of his lungs, "_Chloe!_" His arms wrapped themselves around me in a ferocious hug as he spun me around. Laughing, he repeated, "You're alive," over and over again. I don't know how long he would have kept spinning me, but he stopped almost abruptly when a deep growl emanated from Derek. I was worried for a moment that Derek, in his hyper vigilant wolf mode, might attack Simon for touching me. I was his mate after all, and we had been separated for two years. His wolf instincts were bound to want to keep me safe, which meant keeping other men from touching me. But Simon just gave a small, impish smile and let go of me. Derek's hand returned to my back and I looked over my shoulder to smile reassuringly at him. He smiled back, a little embarrassed by his reaction.

Tori gave out a frustrated huff and swatted Derek's hand away—which earned everyone another growl—before gathering me into her arms. I hugged her back with vigor, letting out a huge sigh. Eventually, after a couple more hugs, we all headed back into the living room. Kit was still in his seat but you could tell he'd been watching us. There was a small spark in his eyes that hadn't been there when he'd brought me here and a crooked smile graced his lips when he saw us all walk in together.

We all settled back into the seats. Derek and I took the couch again, but this time we weren't lying down. Instead we sat normally. Derek wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close again. I smiled and snuggled into his side. He kissed the top of my head and took a deep breath, taking in my scent. I held back a laugh, not wanting to bring any attention to Derek's actions. Before Edison took me, Kit and Aunt Lauren weren't exactly thrilled by the whole 'mate' thing. I didn't know how Kit felt about it now so I didn't want to push the limits by bringing his attention to Derek breathing my scent. I didn't want Kit to separate us. Not even a little.

Not even if he thought it was for our own good.

Kit didn't look upset by our closeness, though. So maybe he wouldn't try to set some boundaries. I could only hope. For the next couple of hours we spent passing with idle chit-chat. We talked about the trip, about their lives that past couple of years like where they've been and what they've done. I stayed silent on my own past. I didn't want this happy night to be stained with what I'd gone through. Instead I asked questions and laughed along with everyone. Eventually, around midnight, Kit stirred and ordered us to bed. I winced.

There'd be no sleeping for me tonight.

Derek took my hand and led me down a hallway with many doors. Tori opened the door across from us and closed it behind her, and Simon took the room next to Derek's. Kit's room was obviously the last door at the end of the hall, but he stopped at Derek's door and faced the two of us. "Chloe, we don't have an extra room. So we could set the couch up for now or you could maybe bunk with Tori," he looked over to her closed door with a grimace. Just because she was happy to see me alive and well didn't mean she'd be willing to share her room. I guess some things never change. "I guess I'll go get some blankets for the couch."

"She can stay with me," Derek said, pulling me closer to his side. I stiffened. I wanted to stay with Derek as well, but I didn't want to push the wrong buttons with Kit. Kit looked at Derek before letting out a breath. He nodded and walked towards his own room. My muscles relaxed and I looked up to Derek, a wide smile on my face. He returned it with his own and led me into his room. Although it was large, there wasn't much to fill up the space. There was a bed and a dresser and several books sprawled everywhere.

"There's a bathroom through that door if you need to use it. I'll get you something to wear to bed." He said and turned to grab some older clothes from his dresser. He handed me an old shirt and a pair of his work out shorts. I gave him a small smile of thanks and made my way to the bathroom. I took a quick shower before getting ready for bed.

I walked out of the bathroom and found Derek sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the bathroom. He gave me a sheepish smile before passing me for the bathroom. I snuggled into the covers of his bed and waited for him to emerge. He didn't take much time in there and sliped into bed next to me. He pulled me closer to his chest and I wrap an arm around his torso. We stayed like that for a long time, doing nothing but listening to each other breath.

I can tell the exact moment Derek falls asleep. It's kind of cute. His breathing deepened and he began to snore slightly. I laid there for a long time, just watching him, ensuring I don't fall asleep. I don't want to summon anything by accident. I'm sure there are plenty of dead corpses around just waiting to be revived. I shuddered at the thought. My shudder must have been more violent than I thought because Derek's soft snores stopped and his eyes fluttered open with confusion.

"Chloe?" He asked, his voice groggy. He looked behind him to check the time. The red letters read 5:42 A.M. He looked back to me and pulled me tighter to him. "You okay?" he asked. I nodded. "Then why are you awake?" I stared at him for a long time before answering, "I-I don't sl-sleep." He lifted an eyebrow at my statement. I sighed before continuing, "At l-least, I tr-tr-try not t-to." He gave me a searching look before asking, "Because you're afraid to summon the dead? Don't be, it rarely happens."

"Not any-anymore," I began, "It's wor-worse n-now. It ha-ha-happens everyt-t-time I g-g-o to sl-sleep n-now." Derek's brow furrowed in concentration. I knew what he was about to ask, but I wished he wouldn't. "What did they do to you Chloe?" I let out a deep breath before snuggling closer to him and nuzzling into his neck. "They-they exper-r-riment-ted on m-me a lot. T-took m-my bl-blood, and m-made me sum-m-mon the d-dead all th-the t-t-time. Th-they p-pushed my p-powers to th-the brink. S-somet-times I-I don't f-f-feel like I'm in contr-trol of mys-self. L-like one d-day I might…" I trailed off, not wanting to go down that road just yet. I didn't want him to know how broken I really felt inside sometimes, like I just wanted everything to end; all the ghosts, all the hauntings, all the fear.

Everything.

Instead I took a deep breath and changed direction, "I am m-m-more pow-werf-ful now. I ha-have more contr-trol over th-the dead and everyth-thing. J-just not wh-when I sl-sl-sleep. It's l-like everything j-just l-leaks out of m-m-me wh-when I'm un-unconscious." Derek stayed silent for a long time. I think he's trying to process everything I've told him along with controlling his rage towards Edison so that he doesn't accidentally lash out at me. It's not like that's never happened before. I'm sure he's also mulling over what I started talking about but didn't finish. Thankfully he doesn't broach that subject.

He nuzzled his nose into my hair, taking my scent in again. Somehow the action—which was meant to calm him—calmed me. Derek slowly ran his fingers up and down my back. The motion soothed me but was also lulling me to sleep which I couldn't afford to do now, so I pinched my leg again. Derek must have felt me move and gave me a sad smile, "Let's get some rest. We can talk more in the morning." I smiled gratefully to him before hesitantly stretching up and pressing my lips against his. It was a small kiss, just a peck. I pulled away before it became anything more and Derek didn't try to make it anything more. He just smiled down at me, looking completely and utterly happy.

I hoped that smile never left his face.

**A/N: Hello! I hope everyone liked the chapter and thank you all for the reviews. I even got some reviews from guests, which was pretty awesome! I tried to make this one nice and long because I'm going to be out of town until next Friday, so I'm hoping the next chapter will be up by next Sunday or Tuesday at the latest. **

**C.F. Hamilton~ **


	5. Chapter 5

I didn't remember falling asleep, but somehow I had. Thankfully nothing happened. There were no dead corpses on the floor or by the door, and I couldn't see anything moving around from my position on the bed. I would sit up and look but Derek's arm lay heavy across my waist while he spooned me from behind. Instead of fretting about the possibility of a reanimated corpse on the floor—and I'm pretty sure there were none—I reveled in the thought of having Derek's arms around me, his body molded to mine, his breath hitting the back of my neck. It felt so peaceful.

Maybe he kept the spirits at bay.

I know that he technically can't actually keep the spirits away, but maybe his presence stopped my subconscious from summoning anything. Anything was possible, after all. Derek shifted behind me, signaling that he was awake. Rolling over, I'm greeted by a pair of slowly blinking eyes and an easy smile. "Morning," he rumbled out lowly. My smile was immediate at the sound and sighed out a return greeting. He brushed some hair away from my face and left his hand on my cheek, "I still can't believe you're real, that you're here. I was afraid that yesterday was all a dream and when I woke up you'd be gone."

"As f-far as I ca-ca-can tell, this isn't a dr-dream and I'm really h-h-here." I smiled to him weakly. He smiled back widely, "Your stuttering is getting better." My smile broadened. I was ecstatic that he had noticed. "So," he continued, "what do you want to do today?" I thought about it for a second before shrugging and snuggling into his warm chest, "C-can we just st-st-stay like this?" A deep rumbling answered me. Derek's arms tightened around me before releasing me. "I would love to spend all day in bed with you, Chloe, but first I need to use the bathroom."

I laughed as he jumped off the bed and entered the bathroom. As soon as he was finished I followed his lead and went to the bathroom and also brushed my teeth before walking back over to the bed. Derek opened his arms to me and I crawled underneath the sheets and wrapped my own arms around his torso. Derek's fingers ran up and down my spine again while I listened to the steady beat of his heart. I felt so relaxed I never wanted to move. "Chloe?" Derek murmured softly. I got the feeling he spoke softly so as to not spook me. Though why he thought I'd be spooked, I have no idea. "Yeah?"

"What…what happened when you…when you were with Edison?" I stayed quiet, not really sure what to tell him. Those two years in captivity were hell and I wasn't too anxious to spill my guts about what they did to me, but I could tell by Derek's tone, by his hesitation that he needed to know. So I told him. I told him about all the experiments, the forced reanimation, the blood tests, my inability to sleep, my fears about my sanity waning.

I told him everything.

I felt physically drained by the time I finished. Derek hadn't said a word during the whole ordeal, but I wasn't worried. I knew he just didn't want me to feel pressured and stop speaking. I rested my chin on his chest so I could get a better look at him. His jaw was tense and a vein in his neck stuck out. He inhaled through his nose deeply before exhaling through his mouth. I lowered my head back down and felt his fingers dig into my skin for a brief moment. When he realized what he was doing he forcefully relaxed his arms but didn't let me go.

"I'm s-scared," I whispered into Derek's shirt. "Of what?" He asked just as quiet. "Th-that they'll f-f-find me ag-gain. That Edis-s-son will capture m-me or-or all of y-y-you. I c-can't go back th-th-there, Derek."

"You won't have to, Chloe. I'll never let them get to you ever again. I promise." Derek's voice was so sure and so convicting I would have believed anything he said. I couldn't help but believe him when he spoke so adamantly.

Neither of us said another word after that. We stayed like that for the next two and a half hours. We probably would have stayed in that position for the entire day but Kit had come knocking and asked if we wanted pancakes.

Neither of us was going to turn down pancakes.

**A/N: Sooo this is very late, I know. I'm sorry. I got back from vacation and started work and then honestly I got lazy. Also, I wasn't sure how to proceed with the story. I really only had the beginning planned out in my head so I need to think about the plot a little bit more. Anyway, I hope you liked this little Chlerek chapter. There will obviously be more, but probably not like this where it's just the two of them for the entire chapter. Tell me what you think please and thank you to those who have favorite/ alerted/reviewed! I really appreciate all of you!**

**~C.F. Hamilton**


	6. Chapter 6

After eating our fill of pancakes, Kit quickly ushered all of us out the door and into the car. "We're going shopping," he said. Tori was thrilled at the idea of shopping, but I just wanted to get some clothes and other basics whereas she was thinking more along the lines of jewelry and accessories. We arrived at a mall a half hour away from the house. The mall wasn't very big, but it had a Target, which was really all I needed.

Kit suggested splitting up so we'd be able to cover more ground. Tori opted to come with me so she could look at clothes while Kit and Simon went to buy groceries. No one asked Derek his opinion. Everyone knew he wasn't going to leave my side. He had barely stopped touching me long enough for me to use the washroom this morning. I smiled at the thought.

After agreeing to meet up in two hours in the food court by the Subway, we split off. We didn't talk much. Tori was in her own world looking at clothes and Derek and I were fine just being in each other's presence. I squeezed Derek's hand as he led me to the juniors department. He smiled down at me and squeezed back.

This was nice.

I was able to pick out over a dozen basic shirts as well as a few more fashionable ones Tori threw my way as well as two pairs of jeans and a pair of shorts. Target also had some cute pajamas that I picked out with Disney characters on it. Tori picked out four pairs of shoes for me. One pair of gym shoes, one converse pair, one pair of sandals and one pair of flip-flops. Honestly, if she weren't here I probably would've walked out of here with half the items in our cart. I didn't mind though.

It meant she cared.

We finished up picking out underwear and toiletries before heading to the food court to meet up with Kit and Simon. Derek carried all of our bags—Tori bought herself several items as well—and I kept my hand in the crook of his arm, knowing it made him feel better when we touched.

It made me feel better, too.

Kit and Simon were carrying lots of grocery bags and Tori and I offered to help with the load, but they shook their heads, claiming they had it. After packing the car's trunk tight, we were on our way back to the house. It was silent for about two minutes before Kit cleared his throat, indicating he had something to say. "I think," he started, "that it's time for us to move."

"What?" Simon asked first, "why?"

"Well, now that Chloe's here we need a little bit more space than we have. Another bedroom, for example," he shot a look at Derek through the rearview mirror and I couldn't help but blush. "For another, we don't know if Edison has been able to follow Chloe. Moving is just the next logical step to stay safe."

The car was quiet for a second before Tori shrugged and said she was fine with the idea, "You live in one 'middle of nowhere', and you've lived in them all." Derek also grunted his agreement with the idea and Simon followed suit not long after. With all that settled, I rested my head on Derek's shoulder and let out a sigh, thankful that no one was attached to the house and blamed me for their relocation. In the back of my mind, I didn't really think they would blame me, but I'm still relieved that they didn't. I began thinking of where we would go and what the new house would look like. My own room.

The thought made me smile.

**A/N: Ok, so hope you liked it. I know there was little to no dialogue and it's short but I'm gonna take a second and sit down and think about where I want this story to go, because after the first couple chapter (which was all I had planned) I am lost. I have a vague idea for the end but not the middle which is why I haven't uploaded for a little bit. I'll fix it don't worry. I hope to finish the story before school starts in the middle of August because after that I know I'll be too busy to really write anything. So I need to motivation (a.k.a reviews). Thanks again to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorite the story. You're all fabulous!**

**C. ~**


	7. Chapter 7

Kit found us a place to live in Harlowton, Montana, in another ranch style house with five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. Derek's room is across the hall from mine. Part of me wished that I could still spent all my nights cuddled up next to Derek, but another part is thankful that I have my own space in case I ever need some alone time, though considering I spent two years completely alone I doubt that I will need that solitude any time soon.

Even though it's the middle of July, here in Montana it feels more like late September so as soon as I get out of bed I threw on a light sweatshirt to repel the slight chill. I headed downstairs to get some breakfast and barely made it outside my door before Derek's arms were around me. "Morning," he mumbled against the top of my head, breathing in my scent. Even though it's been over a month since my return, he still sticks to my side like glue. I smile and tilt my head up at him. "M-morning," I replied. "How did you sleep?" My smile falls as I think of the nightmares I had last night. They weren't any more grotesque than usual, but they still stopped me from actually sleeping. I slept maybe four hours last night, but I wasn't about to tell Derek that.

He'd only worry.

Instead I distracted him by wiggling my nose, "Are th-those pancakes I sm-smell?" Derek smells the air and a hungry smile overcomes his face. Taking me by the hand we head down the hallway and into the kitchen to find Kit at the stove and Simon stuffing his face with the sweet smelling dough. We both take our seats at the table and soon two plates are placed before us. Two pancakes for me, ten for Derek. I'm still amazed by how much food he can eat. I finished my last bite when Tori strolled in and grabbed her own plate. After Derek and I placed our own dishes in the sink to clean later and headed back to his room.

Derek closed the door behind us and then the door to the bathroom that connected his room to Simon's while I settled in on his bed. A soft, rumbling noise came from the corner of the room Derek was in and then he was on top of me, looking down. "Have I ever told you how much I enjoy seeing you on my bed?" I blushed and leaned up to brush my lips against his.

The rumbling noise grew louder.

"I still can't believe you're real sometimes," he mumbled against my lips. I opened my eyes to see him starring back at me. I reached my hand up and stroked his cheek. He turned his face into my palm and took a deep breath. "I'm real, I'm h-h-here. You don't have to wor-rry anym-more."

"How can I not worry? Chloe—" he stopped, closed his eyes, and took another deep breath. "You were gone for two years. _Two years_. All that time I didn't know if you were hurt or—or worse," I knew what he was thinking. He didn't know if I was dead. We had avoided this conversation for a full month, simply living in the now and focusing on each other, but there was always an elephant in the room.

It was time to get rid of it.

"I keep having nightmares where I wake up and you're not here. That you were never here and were still in Edison's clutches. Or sometimes I dream that Edison takes you again and I can't—if that were to happen, I don't think I could live through it. Not again. I just, I just _can't_."

I see tears fill his eyes and can't help it when my own vision becomes blurred. I can't imagine how he felt when Kit told him I was gone. From what Kit told me, Derek went berserk trying to find me. I tried to smile, but faltered and pull him down to me instead. With his face pressed against the curve of my neck I felt hot tears on my skin. Weaving my fingers through his hair, I held him even closer to me.

"It's j-just a dream, Derek. They won't ever g-get me again and w-w-we'll never be sep-parated." I knew these words were hollow. I couldn't promise Derek anything, but I couldn't stay silent either. Derek understood. With one arm wrapped tightly around me, he played with my amulet with the other. "Tell me about your nightmares," he whispered. I started and began to deny that I was having any, but sighed instead. "They're always d-different, but the same in a way. It usually deals with corps-ses, and they want something from me, but the corps-se is never the same. Once it was a little girl, once it was businessman…once it was m-m-my mother. She didn't say anything, th-though. She just stared at me. I think that was the w-worst of them."

Thankfully, while we've been in Montana I've only summoned corpses to our door twice. That seems to be getting better, but the nightmares remain; though I would take nightmares about dead bodies over the actual thing any day. We stayed like that for hours, just holding each other, giving each other light kisses, and speaking about our fears. I could tell how much Edison angered Derek. I worried that he would do something drastic in a fit of revenge. I held him tighter to me with these thought running through my head.

Kit had set us all up with small, local jobs here in Harlowton; small, inconspicuous jobs that were paid in cash so we didn't have to give them any personal documentation. I know Kit had plenty of money saved for emergencies, like buying plane tickets for all of us anywhere and a new house in case we need to leave before we can sell the current one. So these jobs are more about keeping us busy than keeping us financially secure. It also gives us all our own pocket money for if we want to buy clothes or snacks without having to dip into the emergency fund.

Keeping the emergency fund for actual emergencies.

Although I hadn't started working yet—Kit wanted to make sure I was stable before sending me out into the work force—I have a job waiting for me when I'm ready. Derek usually works at the local mail office, lifting the heavy packages onto trucks, but he had the day off.

And we spent it lying together on his bed.

Night had fallen by the time either of us stirred. Everyone else was at work so no one disturbed us and no one would for another four hours most likely. After work Tori liked to go to the small mall in town and chat up the locals. Simon usually joined her, just so she wouldn't be out by herself, and Kit worked late into the night at an antique shop.

Derek and I laid side by side now on his bed. He was rubbing his fingertips lightly up and down my arm. I'm pretty sure I have a permanent blush on my cheeks from all the attention Derek's been giving me today. Even with our legs twisted together and our chests pressing against each other I wanted to be closer. I licked my lips and leaned in to kiss Derek for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. Our tongues met each other and I felt more than heard Derek's moan as I rolled on top of him. His hands went to my hips, his fingers twisting into the fabric of my shirt. My hands slipped under his shirt and I could feel his muscles ripple against my touch.

Derek's mouth slowed against mine and I knew why. We had never touched under clothes before now. At least, not since I came back. I pulled away to look at him. His eyes were questioning and his breathing was heavy. I understood what he was asking and I nodded. "We don't have to, Chloe."

"I w-want to. I want this. I don't want to be apart from you any-anymore. I want to be with you. Really w-with you."

He swallowed loudly before flipping us so that I was on bottom and he was on top. He gave me a light kiss before asking, "You're sure."

"I'm sure."

I was never surer about anything in my life.

**A/N: Guess whaaaat! I figured out what I'm going to do with this story! I'm thinking 4-6 more chapters and then maybe one or two in Derek's point of view, like when Chloe was first taken by Edison or something. Anyway, now that this story has a plan I will be updating much more regularly. Also, thanks again to reviewers and followers. I hope everyone liked this chapter and will tell me your thoughts.**


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up feeling something wet and soft trailing up my spine. Moaning, I rolled onto my back and looked up at Derek who smiled then dipped back down to continue planting kisses along my neck. "Good m-morning," I giggled. I could feel his smile against my skin as he replied in kind. It had been four months since Derek and I had first become intimate with one another and so far everything had been going smoothly. My dreams were still present, but the night-time summonings were few and far between. Even my stuttering was improving. I had been working for the past three months at a small novelty shop that sold homemade get well cards and jewelry and other things like that. It was nice working there. Calm.

So far everything had been calm.

Pulling on Derek's hair, I brought his lips to mine and kissed him hungrily. His tongue dominated mine pretty quickly, but I didn't mind. In fact, it kind of turned me on. We broke for air after a while and I smiled up at him, "You ready for some shopping with Tori today?" Derek grunted and asked, "Do we have to? We could just stay here, you know."

"We c-could," I began slowly, pretending to consider it, "but Tori's been begging me to h-hang out for weeks now, and I think it'll be-be fun."

Derek sighed before rolling out of bed to get dressed. Technically he wasn't invited to go shopping, but since I was going he was going. I watched him dress before putting my clothes from last night and heading back to my own room to get ready for the new day. By the time I had showered and donned new clothes everyone was eating breakfast down stairs. I looked over at Simon and smiled to him. He smiled back. So far he has yet to let on that he can hear Derek and me through the walls.

Thankfully he sleeps like a log.

We all ate in relative silence, but as soon as I was finished Tori shot up and looked at me, "Ready to go?" I looked over to Derek before replying, "Yeah, ju-just let me get my shoes on." Tori smiled at me and went to stand by the door. I got my shoes on and grabbed a jacket and then we were out the door. Simon was staying behind to work and Kit was planning on catching up on some sleep, so it was just the three of us.

It was around 3:00 when Tori's lust for clothes was finally satiated, but instead of heading back home, like Derek wanted, we went to the movie theater instead. It was nothing fancy. The place only had three screens and couldn't afford to play the recent releases, more like the recent releases of the previous year, but it was something to do. As soon as we entered the theater, Derek's back stiffened. I gave him a strange look, but he just smiled it off.

I grew uneasy sitting in the small room watching the movie. I could barely pay attention to the plot because I wondered what had set Derek's instincts off. And I knew it was his instincts, his werewolf instincts, which had been going off in his head. Were they in danger? Was someone from Edison here? I began to panic at the thought and I could feel the souls being summoned.

There was nothing I could do to stop it.

Derek felt my unease and took my hand in his bigger one. I looked at him and he smiled reassuringly. My breathing slowed and the unease dissipated. The souls were also retreating back into the darkness. Clutching onto Derek's hand I tried to relax and watched the rest of the movie. Around 5:30 the lights came back on and the three of us exited the building and headed to the car.

We almost made it when we heard the sound of feet slapping against the pavement. Derek was already turned toward the sound. His eyes glowed in the dimming light and his canines were elongating. The runner appeared under one of the parking lot lights. I didn't know who he was. I didn't know if he was Edison or not, but I knew one thing.

He had a gun pointed right at me.

Derek let out a menacing growl, a warning. If this man had been any normal—as normal as a lunatic with a gun can get—that sound alone would've made him to leave, but this man hardly spared Derek a glance.

He was definitely Edison.

Gunshots echoed around us. Tori and I dropped to the ground as bullets flew at us. I hissed and grabbed my upper arm. Blood poured from where a bullet grazed me. It was just a graze, I'd live. The Edison man wasn't so lucky, though. Derek ran straight for him as soon as he opened fire and snapped his neck before the man's clip was empty. Tori and I stayed on the ground, stunned. I was shaking with aftershock. Derek knelt before me and checked my injury. When he decided it wasn't life threatening he pulled me into his arms. My breaths were coming out short and quick. I could hear Derek's voice, but couldn't comprehend what he was saying. I was too focused on what the man's presence meant for us. Edison had found us. They wanted me dead.

I would never be free.

**A/N: Here you go! Next chapter should be up before next weekend. Thanks for all the reviews and keep 'em coming! Constructive criticism is also welcome.**

**C. F. Hamilton ~ **


	9. Chapter 9

Unlike the last time we moved, we weren't able to wait and sell the house. This time, as soon as Tori, Derek and I told Kit what happened in the parking lot, we packed in a hurry and abandoned ship. Once in the car, Simon checked my wound and wrapped it in some gauze. He wouldn't be able to heal it until we were out of the car. Kit drove with Tori in the passenger seat while Derek, Simon and I sat in the back seat with me in the middle. I hadn't stopped shaking since the shooting. Derek kept his arm around my shoulder and pressed me into his side. I burrowed my face into his shoulder, trying to hide myself away.

The car turned cold and I let out a whimper. Two souls flashed into the car for a moment, flashing out before they could say anything to me, but I saw them. Derek pulled me closer, and I reached up to touch my amulet. I felt the car pick up speed as we merged onto the highway and though part of me realized that it meant I couldn't summon anything and ghosts would most likely stay away while we were in a car, I still couldn't relax. In fact, I think my trembling grew worse. "Chloe," Derek whispered, pulling me away so he could look at me. I'm sure I looked a mess, but he didn't seem to care about that. Instead he kissed my forehead and then drew me back into his side. I knew he was concerned.

I would be too.

Kit drove through the night, until the crack of dawn. Then, after being on the road for twelve hours, we checked into a cheap motel just on the border of Washington and Idaho. We got two rooms with two beds each. Tori claimed her bed quickly and Derek set our bags next to the other one. I knew what he was thinking.

There was no way he was sleeping in a separate bed tonight.

Derek locked eyes with me, silently asking me to come closer, but I shook my head and went into the bathroom instead. Turning the shower on to maximum heat, I stripped and stepped under the scalding water, hoping that my shivering would stop. Instead, my shivering increased and I knew why. Even with the hot water raining down at me I could still feel the icy chill that told me a ghost was present.

I sat down in the tub of the shower. I didn't care if it was unsanitary; I couldn't stand any longer. My nerves were shot, my sanity felt frayed. Hot tears quickly fell from my eyes as images of the Edison man flashed in my mind. How close was I to dying? How close were Tori or Derek? I clutched my head between my hands, trying to clear my head. My body slowly began to relax and the trembling decreased.

Until the hot water became ice cold.

"What's wrong, sweet thing?" A man's voice asked. I tensed. His voice was so close. I turned my head slightly and saw that he was sitting in the tub behind me. He had a leery grin on his face and I knew, without a doubt, this was not a friendly soul. Gulping, I turned around and reached for the knob to turn the water off. "Ah, come on, toots. Tell me what's wrong. I bet I could help take the pain away." I felt the coolness radiate from his spirit and wished he would just go away but couldn't concentrate hard enough to send him off into the darkness. The tremor came back with a new vigor as I stood up in an attempt to get away from the lecherous soul. "Hmm, a bit skinny, but not bad to look at," he whispered in my ear. I was crying again and pulled the curtain back from the shower. My heart practically stopped when I heard a second voice, "Don't be such a creep. Can't you see you're scaring her?" This time it was from a girl around my age. She had long blonde hair and would have been beautiful if it weren't for the baseball sized hole in her skull. "If you keep this up, she'll never as we ask."

As the girl distracted the creepy guy, I grabbed a towel and covered myself up. It made me feel a little better, but not enough to help me focus on banishing them. "Who cares about that?" The creepy guy responded, "maybe some of us just like to watch." He cast a glance at me and winked.

I flinched.

"Aw, look at that! She flinched. How…precious," he drawled out. "Well excuse us for wanting a chance at moving on," a third voice said shortly. "Seriously, man. Not everyone is as fucked up as you are." My breaths came in shallow as a third and fourth ghost appeared in the bathroom. I was starting to feel claustrophobic, or maybe I was having a panic attack. Either way, I needed to get out of here. I took a step towards the door but was immediately blocked by the appearance of a fifth spirit. "Oh dear," the little old woman began, "you don't look so well."

She drifted closer to me and I took a step back. I tried to swallow, but ended up coughing up my own spit. My breaths shuddered through me as I heard a sixth voice "Hey, what's going on with her?" I bent over and shut my eyes, trying to shut them out.

Trying to push them away.

It wasn't working. I could still feel them—all six of them—hovering around me. I couldn't breathe. I just wanted them to leave. I wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't they leave me alone? Why wouldn't any of this end? If only it would end.

If only it would end.

* * *

I wasn't in the bathroom anymore. I was on a bed on my back. The sheets were warm, meaning the ghosts were gone. I let out a sigh of relief and sat up. Tori was in her own bed. I could see the lumpy shape of her body underneath the sheets. "You're awake." My head snapped over to the corner of the room where Derek was sitting. He stood and walked over to the bed and climbed in next to me. I rolled onto my side so we could be face to face. "What happened?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, I could feel small tremors wracking my body as I responded. "Th-th-there were s-so man-ny gh-gh-ghosts. One…one ap-peared in th-the show-wer beh-h-hind me," I had to stop when Derek's growl drowned me out. When he stopped, I began again, "a-and then m-m-more just kept-t com-coming. I couldn't br-br-breathe, Der-rek. I just w-wanted them t-t-to leav-ve, but I couldn't m-make them. There were t-t-too many. I couldn't f-focus. I cou-couldn't focus at all! I d-d-don't even rem-member passing out. I m-mean, I rememb-b-ber feeling panic-y, I g-guess, but I—I,"

Derek shushed me and pulled me into his chest. Tears burned behind my eyes again and I felt my throat closing up. I struggled to breathe in and out slowly. Derek traced circles up and down my spine, trying to calm me. "You should have called for me," he said sternly. I knew if I hadn't been such a mess right now he'd probably be yelling at me because I didn't call him. But what could he do? He couldn't fight the ghosts for me. He couldn't even see them.

"I know I can't see ghosts, Chloe," he said, reading my mind, "but I could've gotten you out of there before you passed out. What if you had smacked your head open against the sink? Which you almost did, by the way. Luckily you missed it and landed in the middle of the bathroom. You did bruise your forehead, though."

I lightly touched my forehead and winced when I felt the pain. Derek felt my wince and pulled me even closer to him. I was still shaking, but nowhere near as hard as I was in the bathroom. I think being in Derek's arms helped a little bit, too. "Why couldn't you push them away?" He asked, "Isn't it easy for you?"

"N-n-not quite," I said truthfully. "It t-takes a lot of fo-fo-focus on my part, foc-cus and con-confidence. If—If I'm afraid th-then I won't be able to p-push them in-t-tto the void, and there—there were so many of them…I j-just couldn't d-d-do it."

"So because you were afraid you couldn't focus?"

"I guess s-so."

"Why were you afraid?"

I felt his arms tighten around me. He knew why, but he wanted me to say it. "Ed-edison," I whispered. "I hav-haven't even been fr-fr-free for a year and they found m-m-me. And now th-they want-t me de-dead? What w-will hap-pen the next t-t-time they track me down? They'll be sn-sn-sneakier next time. Who-who knows wh-what will happen? What if th-th-they kill you b-by mist-take? Or Sim-mon, or Tori, or K-kit? I can't—I wo-wouldn't be able to live with myself." Derek stopped breathing. I looked up at his face and recognized the look there.

He was planning something.

Neither of us spoke for a long time until finally Derek voiced his thoughts, "I won't let anything happen to you—to anyone." Edison isn't going to find us again, and if, by some chance, they do, then we'll escape scot-free just like every other time we've faced them. Now get some shut eye, okay? Dad's gonna wanna head out again in a couple hours. We're heading to somewhere in Washington. He doesn't know where yet, probably close to the Canadian border, so it'll be a long trip." I rolled over in his arms so my back was now pressed to his chest and sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

* * *

We drove seven hours later that day and arrived in Sedro-Woolly, Washington, around 4:30 in the afternoon. I don't know how Kit does it. He drove the entire time and found us a house to rent in the middle of the woods with four bedrooms before 7:00 without batting an eye. Maybe he cast some endurance spell on himself before we left. We were an hour away from the Canadian border, which seemed to reassure Kit and Derek somehow.

I stayed quiet the entire trip. Tori and Simon tried to get me to engage in conversation, but I just couldn't. I just stared out the window. Derek seemed to understand. He never tried to pry me open; instead he just held my hand in his. That act alone helped me breathe easier.

It was like my lifeline.

* * *

This town was much larger than Harlowton, so it was easy to find jobs at local stores for all of us. If it weren't for that job, I doubt I would ever get out of bed. It had been two months since we arrived here and I've barely slept. I haven't told Derek, though I'd bet he knew about my insomnia. Ghosts kept visiting me when I did sleep, causing me to summon the undead. I was jumpy and introverted, I knew. Derek's presence was hardly helping anymore. My nerves were shot and so I was a free for all for any ghosts in the general area.

And the general area was vast.

Derek was becoming antsy himself. His werewolf temper got the better of him whenever he saw me flinch or jump. He'd punch a wall or throw something breakable. Kit was becoming stressed too, mainly because of Derek, but there was little he could do. Derek's instincts were telling him to protect me, to protect his mate, but he couldn't fight off the offender in this case. I was withering away and he couldn't stop it. I knew I needed to get out of this slump, but whenever I tried to do so another spirit would emerge or a decaying dog would walk up to me and I'd fall apart all over again.

I needed to get a grip.

I didn't have work today, so I slept in, and by that I mean laid in bed until 10:30 A.M. Derek and I shared a room in this house. Kit seemed to understand out need for closeness. Especially now. I took a deep breath and flipped onto my back. The air was teetering dangerously close to dropping temperature and I was focusing as hard as I could at keeping the spirit away. I clutched at my amulet, hoping to draw on some strength there. From the stone, or from the memory of my mother, I didn't know.

A crash sounded through the house and my body snapped upwards. Terrible thoughts of Edison drones invading the house filled my mind and I ran out of the room towards the sound. I made it to the kitchen where Derek and Kit stood across from each other in a standoff. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized it wasn't Edsion, just Derek. "What's g-going on?" I asked, still trying to pull myself together if only to keep Derek from destroying everything in the house. Kit looked over to me. His dark, haunted face almost made me take a step back, but I knew that wasn't going to help the situation so I stood firm. Derek turned to me and took two quick steps to stand before me. He leaned down, placing both hands on either side of me face, and kissed me hard and fast on the lips before replying, "We're going to destroy Edison."

My eyes widened and he kissed me again before walking down the hallway that I came from. Kit sighed and began picking up a dented frying pan off the floor. I waited for him to tell me Derek wasn't serious. For Derek to return and tell me he was just shooting his mouth off, but neither of those things happened. I could feel the blood drain from my face as everything sunk in. Derek was going to fight Edison head on.

For me.

**A/N: Boy that was long! An oh-hoo, things are about to get very interesting. Well I hope you enjoyed. Please review. Also, if any of you are interested in other works by me, visit my tumblr: hammiesworkshop . tumblr . com**

**P.S: I fixed Chloe's stuttering in the last chapter. I realized yesterday I didn't go back and add it in, but it'll be done by the time this is up.**

**C.F. Hamilton~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Quick response to a Guest Reviewer: The reason Chloe stutters so much is because as we know she does have a stuttering problem and after having been locked away with no one to talk to her stutter got significantly worse. Then when she was away from Edison and relaxed so did her stutter, but then it increased when she became anxious and nervous because of Edson's return into her life.**

* * *

"Der-derek," I began after I found him in our room, "You ca-ca-can't be s-serious! Go-going after Ed-d-dison is suic-cidal!" His brow was furrowed though and his mouth set in a straight line. I didn't know if I'd be able to convince him this was insane. "Chloe, we can't live like this anymore. We all live in constant fear that one day Edison is going to show up on our doorstep and lock us away or worse. They want you dead, who knows what they'll do to Tori or Kit, and they'll probably put me in a cage and leave me there to rot! They'll keep chasing us until we're too tired to go on anymore. I won't let that happen. I don't want us all to fall apart and be unable to defend ourselves. This needs to end before one of us gets hurt."

Derek's voice was so calm and so even; it was hard not to side with him. I couldn't, though. If he did this, if he took Edison head on, he could die. We all depended on him so much. If he were captured or worse it wouldn't be like when I was taken. We'd be broken without him. Always the strong one, always the one with a plan. If he were gone…

I didn't want to think about it.

Before I could tell him any of my thoughts, though, he walked past me and back down the hallway, knocking on Tori and Simon's door as he went. We all congregated back in the kitchen where Kit leaned against the sink looking tired and on the verge of a breakdown. Tori and Simon took seats at the kitchen table while Derek stood in the middle of the room next to the island. Derek breathed in deeply through his nose before stating, "I think we should attack Edison."

The room was silent long enough for me to hope that the others would shoot down Derek's idea just as I had. Instead Simon let out a loud, ear-popping, "Whoop!" While Tori slammed her hand down onto the table and said, "Finally." Derek looked over his shoulder at me, a smile on his face. With practically the entire house on his side he knew I had no chance of changing their minds. I looked over at Kit. Our eyes connected and it seemed as if we were having the same thought.

We were going back to Edison.

Sighing in defeat, I walked over to the island and listened to everyone's plan of attack. At first Tori wanted to cast a spell to kill all the workers in the building—if that were even possible—but Kit nixed the idea, looking a bit green, reasoning there were prisoners still in the building and killing the captors wouldn't help the captives. Simon's plan was to have me lead them back to headquarters—a now permanent part of the plan—then somehow infiltrate the building. That's as far as he got. "Even if we take out the people," Kit started, "doesn't mean we'll have taken Edison down for good. They have thousands of back-ups and hard drives for their files. If even one of their members escapes, they can just get the back-ups and hire new people later on and the hunt will start again."

"Then we take out the computers," Derek answered. "How?" Simon asked. Derek's eyes shifted my way before quickly flitting back to the others. "Let's deal with that later. Once we're inside the building, I think Tori, Simon and dad should act as decoys. The guards and staff will be confused and focus on them while Chloe and I can figure out a way to release the prisoners."

"There are two security rooms," Kit said, "with a power off switch inside each of them. If both of you can get into a room and hit that button, then all the doors should be unlocked automatically."

Derek nodded. "So what about the computers?" Tori asked. Derek's eyes once again flashed to mine and back to Tori's before he replied, "We'll just have to destroy the hard drives by hand." There were some murmured words of annoyance about all that work, but everyone seemed to have agreed to the idea. Everyone but Kit, though. He didn't voice his worries, but I could see it on his face.

We wouldn't be able to destroy those hard drives so easily.

We went through the plan in detail for three more hours after that. Everyone took off work for the next week, too. Kit rented an RV so he could drive the 19 hours from Sedro-Wooly to Casper, Wyoming without having to stop for sleep or bathroom breaks. Kit told us we'd leave at midnight and we all began to pack supplies like food and other necessities while he went to pick up the RV. If traffic was good, then we'd get to the headquarters around 7:00 P.M the next evening.

It was terrifying.

Kit returned home around 4:25 P.M with the rental. It was just the two of us in the kitchen. Derek was going through the plan again, Tori was making sure we all had enough clothes for any emergency and Simon headed out to the RV to start packing up what was ready. "K-k-kit," I stuttered. "Yeah, Chloe?" he asked with a sigh. "Ear-earlier, wh-wh-when we were t-talking about th-th-the h-hard drives…h-h-h-how, I mean, how m-many are th-there?"

"Hundreds, if not thousands. That's not the problem, though," he said while dragging a hand down his face, "the problem is they're strong. Sturdy. Even with Derek's werewolf strength it'll take too long for us to destroy before police—or someone worse—arrive. Derek knows it, too. I've told him before it would take the entire building to collapse to destroy them all. The ground would have to open up! I just hope we can do enough damage to their files to set them back several years. Enough for us to at least escape permanently."

Kit went on to talk some more, but I stopped listening. I now understood why Derek kept looking at me whenever the computers were mentioned. He knew Kit's theory, how the ground would have to split in two. He also knows I've split the ground. Back when we were at Andrew's safe house and I went to the cemetery. I broke the ground in two.

I opened the earth.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to update! I'm on a student government board at my University so I've been swamped all week. This chapter was originally supposed to be longer, but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting so I thought I'd update now. Next chapter will probably be posted Sunday or Monday because I thankfully have those days completely off (hallelujah). We're getting close to the end now so I would just like to again thank everyone who's reviewed or favorite or anything. I appreciate it a lot and hope that you guys keep it rolling!**

**C.F. Hamilton~**


	11. Chapter 11

I looked up at the building that held me captive for two years. It looked like a medical lab on the outside, all dull and boring like. But I knew hell was right behind those front doors. We arrived in Casper right on time and took two hours to re-energize and go over the plan several more times. It was dark out now. The moon and stars were out, but with all the lights on in the Edison building, their own light had no effect.

We came from the direction of the old woman's house from when I escaped were a small forest of trees hid us from Edison's watchmen and cameras. Derek was crouched next to me while Kit, Tori and Simon were closer to the building. Kit was going to cast a spell to set off the fire alarm which would—so he said—unlock all the main doors, allowing them entrance. Then after five minutes exactly, Derek and I were supposed to make our way into the building. Hopefully Kit and the others would be able to keep security away from us long enough for us to do some damage.

I saw Kit's hands twist and flail and then the obnoxious siren sounded. The three of them went in and Derek and I were left to wait. "Everything will be okay, Chloe," he said while taking my hand. "After tonight we'll be free." I squeezed his hand, too nervous to speak. Kit's words from before ran through my head. The only way to destroy all the hard drives and backups were if the building collapsed on them. The building would collapse.

I'd make sure of it.

Five minutes passed so Derek and I made our move. The siren was still blaring. "Th-that's a g-good sign," I whispered to Derek. He nodded and led us down a corridor. The hallway ended at an intersection. One security room was to the right, and the other to the left. "Sh-sh-should we spl-split up?" I asked. "No," Derek replied shortly, "not yet." We took a left and vigilantly watched out for any security. Thankfully there was no one until we reached the security room.

There were two men in lab coats watching screens in the room and two men in suits with guns at the waists. As soon as Derek opened the door they looked up. Derek went into action immediately. He pushed me back away from the doorway and leapt forward, shifting before he hit the first guard. He bit into the man's jugular without hassle and turned to the next guard who now had his gun aimed at him. The man shot off three bullets. Derek dodged each of them, causing one of the strays to hit a researcher. Before he could pull the trigger a fourth time I ran forwards and grabbed his wrist. With the gun no longer aimed at Derek he went on the offense by jumping onto him and pushing the guard onto the ground. His head cracked against the floor. Blood seeped out and stained the white linoleum.

Derek looked at me. I knew what he was asking and nodded. The man was dead, his spirit floated over his body with a glazed look in his eyes. I felt a little bad about leaving him like that, but had to focus on the last man in the room. Derek growled at him but he paid him no attention. His eyes were locked on mine. His face stark white and mouth open in horror. He gasped a bit, as if trying to speak. He raised his hand to point at me. "Y-you!" he cried out weakly. That was all the encouragement Derek needed before he attacked.

With all four men dead, I looked around the room for the switch that would release the prisoners. Derek found it first and with a large paw pressed it down. There was another high pitched siren, alerting everyone of what we did. If Derek were in human form right now I'm sure he would've cursed. We ran out of the room and back down the opposite end of the hallway. Derek ran behind me, nipping at my feet, telling me to run faster. I stopped dead in my tracks.

A plan was forming.

"D-derek, we n-need t-t-to spl-split up." Derek shook his head and growled, telling me to start running again. "N-no! G-go unl-lock the r-rest of the r-rooms! I'll-I'll go and m-make s-sure everyone gets out! Y-you do th-the same with the cells at the other e-end. I'll m-meet you outside so we c-can destroy the h-h-hard-drives."

Derek looked like he wanted to argue but knew it was a good idea to split up to save time. Edison must know what were up to now thanks to that alarm. After two more seconds of hesitation, Derek barks at me and heads off. Once he's out of sight I take a calming breath, close my eyes, and focus my mind. There's so many souls stuck here. Some new, some older. All lost.

I summon them all.

When I open my eyes I see hundreds of blank faces. Clearing my throat, I give out an order, "G-get everyone to ev-evacuate. P-push them out i-if you need to. Get ev-everyone ou-out and t-t-tell me wh-when it's em-empty." A few look angry with me but I could care less. Instead I also head out to help get everyone out. After I leave the fifth room I hear a second alarm go off. Derek must've opened the cells to the other wing.

It won't be long now.

I run to the stairs Kit said led to the hard drives in the basement and wait. It's very warm down here. All the backup systems and main frames are running and it's not long before sweat appears on my brow. The room turns cold all of a sudden and I turn around to see the spirits from before. "Everyone's out?" I ask. They all nod. "Even the w-w-wolf?" Again, they nod. I take a deep breath once again before speaking, "G-good. N-now I want y-you to guard th-the entrances. Do-don't let any-anyone in. Don't hurt anyone, b-but don't l-let them in, e-either."

Slowly they all disappear to do my bidding and I'm alone. Closing my eyes, I try to stop the trembling in my hands as I reach up and pull my amulet over my head. With it off I feel almost sick. I've always been able to feel the unmarked graves beneath the building. Only slightly, but I could sense them. Now it feels like I'm in a room with water pouring in and I know I'll drown.

That there's no way out.

I kneel down and place my hands on the floor and pull. Just like I did back in the cemetery so many years ago. I pull on the spirits that sleep below me. I squeeze my eyes shut and concentrate as hard as I can on what I'm doing. It feels like I'm pulling for an eternity before something in me gives way. The ground rumbles and groans but I'm too exhausted to move and find shelter. I didn't think this through. I didn't think it would be so grueling to open the earth again. I thought I'd be able to get above ground before the building's foundation cracked and splintered. I fall backwards and stare at the shaking ceiling, watching cracks form in the cement. My eyes fluttered and I felt as if I might pass out. I heard a loud groan come from behind me and felt the ground beneath me shudder and give way.

Small pebbles from the ceiling fell onto my face. I could feel it, but no longer see it. My eyes wouldn't open and even breathing was taking lots of effort. Perhaps I pulled on too many souls? How many were even buried beneath this building? I should have checked beforehand. Something heavier landed on my shoulder and I winced in pain. My eyes snapped open, fatigue giving way to pain and saw a larger chunk of the ceiling landed on my shoulder. There was a small wound. It wasn't life threatening, but then I looked up again.

Something wasn't right.

The ground had stopped shaking, but the ceiling was still moving. I looked closer and noticed the ceiling was much too close. I started to panic when I realized it was the ceiling but had caved in and fallen on top of me. Luckily, as I did inventory, I wasn't too damaged from the stone. My shoulder was banged up, as was my hip and leg, but that wasn't the problem I realized. The entire building must've been on top of me. There was no way out. Even if I crawled out of my small hole, there'd still be a mile of concrete to push through. I wasn't going to give up, though. I knew Derek wouldn't either.

Slowly, I started to sit up. My vision spun and I almost fell right back down. I looked down at my shirt and noticed a lot more blood than my shoulder should have produced. Running my hand through my head I flinched when I touched something tender. I pulled my hand back and groaned; it was covered in blood. How did I not feel it? How did I not feel something cut so deeply into my skull? My vision blurred again when the thought that I'd been down here longer than I thought crossed my mind. Was it only minutes? Hours? I swallowed the thought that it could be days.

I couldn't catch my breath.

I slumped against the makeshift wall before sliding back down to the ground. All my energy was gone again. My breathes were short and shallow and my eyes closed against my will. My thoughts were hazy and muddled. Everything felt distant and disconnected. Like nothing mattered. And maybe nothing did. Nothing but Derek. I thought I heard him for a second or two, but then my mind was scrambled again and not long after there was nothing. Everything was nothing. Everything was gone.

I was gone.

**A/N: Just the epilogue and maybe an extra chapter in Derek's point of view left! I'm so sorry how late this was but life happened. Anyway, let me know what you think!**

**C.F. Hamilton~**


	12. Chapter 12

My hearing returned before everything else. I could hear a sharp, beeping noise coming from my right, the unfamiliar voices of people in the far distance, and the sound of a chair swiveling left to right close by. Then my sense of smell; everything smelled clean, almost too clean, like in a burning way. My tongue felt heavy in my mouth and my teeth felt filmy. I felt someone's thumb caress my hand and then my eyes started to open. My lids were crusted over so it took a couple seconds to fully open them, but once I did I found myself staring at a plain white ceiling.

Was I dead?

No, I definitely wasn't dead. I was in a hospital. But how? I turned my head slowly to the right and my sight landed on Derek. He was seated in an uncomfortable looking gray chair looking down at our linked hands.

He found me.

I took a deep breath and his head shot up. The look of relief in his eyes almost brought a sob from my chest. How long had I been asleep? From the looks of it Derek hadn't slept in a week. Dark circles had formed under his eyes and his facial scruff had long passed a six o'clock shadow. He squeezed my hand and smiled at me. "How do you feel?" he asked. I coughed to clear my throat and found it dry. Derek immediately reached for a cup of water with a straw and placed the straw in my mouth. I gulped it down, thinking it tasted better than anything in my life.

Once I finished he took the cup away. "K-kind of hazy, I g-g-guess," I began, "I'm really tired." Derek's hand tightened around mine and his eyes looked almost feral. I squeezed his hand back, trying to let him know I was here, with him, and safe. "How d-did you find me?" He took a long breath through his teeth before answering, "I followed your scent. Chloe, what you did…I almost lost you." "Hey," I started, bringing my hand up to touch his face, "I'm here, a-aren't I? Everything will be all right now."

Derek nuzzled into my hand and stayed silent for a long while. When he finally looked back up at me I saw tears swimming in his eyes. I gulped. I'd never seen Derek cry before. I don't think he'd ever shed a tear in the entire time we knew each other. "I'm just so glad you're still here." I smiled at him and he bent over to rest his head against my stomach, one hand clutching my own and the other grasping at the white sheets while he let himself go.

We stayed like that for hours until Derek's tears ran dry and he felt up to leaving my side long enough to tell the others I was awake. Everyone was a wreck. It seemed no one had slept since the Edison night, which, according to Kit, was four days ago. So far, there had been no movement on Edison's part. As I fell back asleep with everyone around me I could only hope it stayed that way.

* * *

Three year had passed since I woke up in the hospital. After I was discharged kit moved us all to another small town just in case Edison rose from the ashes to hunt us down. After six months with absolutely no sign of them anywhere within the supernatural community, we took a leap of faith and moved to San Diego, California. We've been able to finally restart our lives here. Kit took on a stable job at an engineering company right away. It took longer for some of us to assimilate back into the normal world. Tori took to it like a fish to water. She was immediately hired at a Hollister store in a mall that could hold more people than most of our old town's population. She also got great discounts on clothes, so that was a plus. She pushed Simon, Derek and me into taking classes at a community college for a year so we'd be able to transfer to a larger college one day; with the cover story that we all took a year off to travel before going to school.

Once we all went back to school and started talking to people our age for longer than a few months, we were able to relax and enjoy things in life again. Simon's attracted many girls attention once again now that he's comfortable and regressed into his more social nature. There's one in particular he's had his eye on and has been trying his hardest to get to know her better.

Derek and I have gone on several actual dates including going to the movies, having picnics, and going somewhere special for dinner when the occasion calls for it. It took much longer for the both of us to relax and trust that we could live our lives freely here, but eventually we did. We've even ventured away from the others long enough to check out a few college campuses that we're interested in. I think we're both leaning towards University of San Diego since it's so close to where Kit is. Simon also wants to enroll there. We've even looked at a couple of apartments on campus for the three of us. Tori wants to go a little farther, which I knew she would. She wants to test out her new found freedom. She won't go too far, though, all the universities she's looked at have been no more than three hours away.

The ghosts have come and gone, but none have given me much trouble, and if they do Derek's always there to help me through it. Just like I'm there for him whenever the full moon lights up the sky. We spend the night holed up in our room, usually catching up on sleep since the change comes easier for him now and we've all taken as many hours at our respective jobs as possible. My stutter has disappeared, only reemerging when I'm really upset about something which is almost never. And not since before my time in the hospital have I summoned anything in my sleep. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can't help but think:

Our old lives have ended, and our new ones have just begun.

**A/N: There it is! It is officially finished! Thank you all for reviewing and following and favoring. It's really kept this story going. I hope you enjoyed how I ended it and enjoyed the entire story along the way. Tell me what you think! Also, I might add an extra chapter up in Derek's point of view about his reaction when he found out Chloe was taken all those years ago. Let me know if you'd be interested in reading something like that or if you need me to elaborate on the idea.**

**C.F. Hamilton~ **


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